


write on me (color outside the lines)

by revered



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Lee Jeno is a Panicked Gay, M/M, Painter Huang Ren Jun, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:14:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21913507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/revered/pseuds/revered
Summary: “That’s great. Thanks for giving us a chance,” Jeno says, a soft smile on his face.“You better show me a good time now, boys,” Renjun retorts with a playful lilt.Jaemin and Jeno are whipped, and Renjun... Renjun's a tease.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Comments: 10
Kudos: 166
Collections: ’00 FIC FEST: ROUND ONE





	write on me (color outside the lines)

**Author's Note:**

> prompt #0010.  
> thank you, admin tea, for organizing this and for your patience.

“First one there wins?” Jeno asks with a grin.

“Wins what, a kiss?” his boyfriend smiles, eyes sparkling. 

“Sure? I was thinking-” he begins to say, but Jaemin has already started running towards the market. With a chuckle, Jeno follows behind. 

When Jeno finally slows down next to Jaemin, he finds him looking at the shops with eyes full of wonder. The two were visiting Jeno’s hometown, Incheon, and he was showing Jaemin all his favorite spots around the city. The latter loved listening to Jeno talk about playing around in the market with his childhood best friend, but seeing it all right in front of him was exhilarating. Jeno gives him a quick kiss and starts to walk towards the old antique shop he used to love visiting.

The bell rings softly as he pushes the door open, and Jaemin steps inside carefully. Every inch of the shop is decorated: the floors are covered in intricately woven carpets, and dozens of tables are scattered across the shop. Each table has several small trinkets, from carved cuckoo clocks to miniature utensil sets. Jeno knew Jaemin was an avid lover of all things antique, so he made sure their first stop was here. It didn't hurt to visit Jeno's favorite father figure, either.

As if on cue, a middle aged man comes out of the storage room. A smile graces his face as he walks closer to the two boys.

“Jeno, is it really you?” he asks, raising his arms for a hug.

“It’s me, harabeoji! How have you been?” Jeno smiles, accepting an overdue hug from the man. 

“Good, good, you know the usual. How about you? I see you brought someone with you,” Jeno smiles and beckons Jaemin over, away from the old music boxes. 

“Harabeoji, this is my boyfriend, Jaemin. Jaemin, this is the owner of the store, Hyeonjun,” Jeno pauses to think before continuing, “who used to give me the best advice every time I walked in with something to cry about.”

The two laugh and Jaemin turns to the elder.

“I really love your shop! I’m actually a big fan of antique shops, and I think yours might be my favorite.” Hyeonjun beams and pats Jaemin’s arm. 

“Ah, you’re too kind,” he sats, eyes crinkling as he smiles. “Would the two of you like tea or hot chocolate? I have a few packets in the back.” Jeno glances at one of the many clocks in the room, then back at Hyeonjun. 

"That sounds amazing, but could we maybe come back later? I have a few other places I wanted to show Jaemin first."

"Oh, of course! You two enjoy your time here—and come back before closing." The young couple nods in response and they make their way to the door. 

"It was really nice to meet you, Hyeonjun-ssi!"

  
  


“Same to you, son.”

* * *

Jeno walks down the street with Jaemin in tow, the two of them taking some time to absorb the atmosphere. Jaemin links their hands and turns to Jeno.

"It's only been a bit, but I love it here. I'm really glad I'm here with you, y’know?" Jeno starts to respond, but is rudely interrupted by a shriek and two identical screams.

"Jeno!" 

He’s barely turned around before he's tackled by two blondes, who look around the couple's age. The two of them burst into laughter, and stand up, still hugging Jeno. 

"We missed you so much man, you didn't tell us you were back in town!" The boy says before turning to Jaemin. 

"Hey! I'm Han Jisung, Jeno's best friend from high school. This is Park Chaewon, we used to be  _ the  _ trio."

"Still are!" Chaewon pipes up. "Seriously Jen, when were you planning on telling us you got a boyfriend?" 

Jaemin laughs a bit, "Was it that obvious?" 

Jisung smiles and whispers loudly,

"It's the promise rings." Jaemin blushes just a little. 

"You guys want to get lunch and catch up? I hope the sushi place still hits as hard as it used to," Jeno asks, catching the attention of his two friends.

"Of course! There's a new manager but it's actually way better than before. Let's go!" Chaewon chirps. The four of them start to walk to the restaurant, catching up with each other as they walk.

* * *

“And now Jisung’s got a boyfriend  _ and _ he’s on the basketball team. Talk about a glow up.” Chaewon says, putting her chopsticks down. Jeno smiled as he thought about his life with them before he moved. 

“Time flies, huh? I remember when he was actually taller than me,” Jeno says, setting his napkin on the table.

They all laugh and finish their food one by one.

“It was so nice meeting you guys,” Jaemin says, stuffing a piece of sushi into his mouth. 

“Jeno literally always talked about you, you’re as fun as he said you were.”

“Nah, it’s nice to see Jeno finally letting someone else take care of him. Glad it’s you,” Chaewon says softly, looking up at Jaemin.

* * *

A light breeze picks up as the couple step out of the restaurant.

“Where to next?” Jaemin asks, admiring a small flower shop across the street. An unfamiliar shop has caught Jeno’s attention. There are koi fish and roses painted around the entrance, and it seems to be brand new. He motions toward it. 

“Let’s see what that is.”

As they get closer they see what it says above the door in beautiful calligraphy:  _ RJ’S ART SERVICES. _ Jaemin shrugs and looks to Jeno before pushing the glass door open, revealing a small, breathtaking shop. 

The walls are made of dark, rich, wooden panels. The wall across from the front door is covered with a gorgeous mural of a blue and red fish circling each other. In front of it is a desk with a cash register, a few papers, a little bell, and a small menu scattered across the top of it. Jeno walks up to the desk to read the menu as Jaemin admires the pieces of art around the rest of the shop. Hung along every wall is little framed paintings and sketches that RJ has done, while tiny, detailed sculptures stand on tables against the walls. 

_ Clearly, this RJ guy is good at what he does _ , Jaemin thinks as he makes his way to the front desk, where his boyfriend stands, still scanning the paper menu. 

‘Profile Sketch - $15’ catches both of their eyes.

“Wanna get one done?” Jaemin suggests. 

“It would be cute, documenting the memory like this.” Jeno nods and taps the bell on the desk. After a few moments, a boy that looks about their age comes out from the back. His hair is dyed auburn, and he’s wearing a yellow paint-stained sweater tucked into jeans. There’s a messy paint palette in his hands, and a small smile on his face as he says, 

“Hi, I’m Renjun! Or RJ. How can I help you today?”

Jeno has to clench his teeth so that he doesn’t end up blurting out something embarrassing. Renjun looks like a child of the moon; he has a tiny smile, but it’s enough to light up the entire room. 

_ He looks like the type of person you’d want to tuck into a blanket and protect forever _ , Jaemin thinks.  _ And maybe hold his hand while you’re at it.  _

The couple are both clearly thinking the same thing: this guy could tell them he had all the universe’s stars in a jar, and they’d believe him. Jeno snaps out of it first.

“Yes, hi! We wanted to get a, uh, profile sketch. Of the two of us.”

Renjun puts down his palette and takes a notebook out from inside the front desk.

“Sure, okay, I can do that! Usually we take appointments, since it gets busy, but you got lucky this time!” (They know that.) 

“Follow me outside!”

The two boys trail after him as he leads them to a small area in front of the shop where three chairs and an easel are set up. The couple sits down as Renjun asks,

“Paint or pencil?”

“Paint,” Jeno answers.

“Oil or acrylic?”

The two exchange a look of confusion.

“Um… acrylic, I guess,” Jaemin says carefully.

Renjun laughs and brings the paints over, beginning to hum a soft tune. Jeno and Jaemin watch as he removes a used canvas and puts a new one on the easel. The old one appears to be covered with small patches of colour, each with a different pattern on it. The couple must have been staring at the intricate designs for a while, because Renjun looks up and says,

“That’s my practice canvas. You know, brainstorming for stuff to put on clothes and stuff in my art.”

“If that’s just the practice… I can’t imagine how great it would actually look. Also,” Jaemin clears his throat, “sorry if I’m intruding, but is there a reason you don’t have any pieces of people up in the shop?”

A few moments of silence pass as Renjun contemplates how to answer. The couple make eye contact as Jaemin holds his breath.

“When I was a kid, I was really proud of my art. I still am, but I was more verbal about it. You know how four year olds are. During art, I would show my table what I made and they’d all go, ‘that’s cool, Jun!’. But one time, when I showed a drawing of a person, one of the kids told me he hated it. Yeah, it was a stick person, but it’s stuck with me.” He ends the story with a smile and a shrug.

“What the hell? He was probably still scribbling. What gave him the right?” Jeno shakes his head. Renjun laughs.

“Kids are just opinionated. It’s okay. Anyways, do you guys want to get started? I got all my stuff here, so just pose whenever you’re ready.”

“Right.”

Jaemin leans his head onto Jeno’s and they smile, hands intertwined. 

“Ready?” Renjun asks. They nod, and he begins to sketch. His brows are furrowed as he looks between the canvas and the couple, trying to be as accurate as possible.

10 minutes of light conversation passes, and Renjun declares,

“I’m finished the sketch! You guys can move now.”

The three of them stretch and Renjun picks up his paints and brushes. He starts with light brush strokes for their clothes, and the conversation picks up again. The two watch as he paints; his features are calm and a small smile is present on his face. The two can tell he has a strong passion for art. It’s clear through the dozens of pieces in the shop, and the fact that he even has a shop, but also in the way he looks at and speaks of his art.

“How long have you guys been together? You seem like one of those childhood best friend couples,” Renjun pipes up.

“2 years,” Jaemin says. “He actually asked me out for homecoming.”

“It was so embarrassing, stop. I asked him the week before hoco with a sign and shit, and it was cute until I tripped and almost wiped out in front of the whole student body. Then I started stuttering. It was terrible,” Jeno laughs, covering his face with his hands.

“It wasn’t even that bad! I could still understand you, and no one really laughed. I think.”

“Gee, thanks, Jaem.” Renjun and Jaemin shared a smile as the trio laugh.

“Hey Renjun, is there a bathroom I can use?”

“Yeah, just down the hall. It’s the last door on the left,” Renjun answers.

“I think I’ll come too. I’ve got to walk around and uh, stretch my legs,” Jeno says, rising from his seat.

The pair step into the bathroom quickly and Jaemin turns to Jeno.

“He’s nice,” Jeno blurts.

“He is. Are you thinking what I am?”

“Hopefully, or this won’t end well.” A grin spreads across Jeno’s face.

“How should we ask?”

“We can just ask him out to dinner as we’re leaving.”

“What about the long distance?” Jaemin asks, eyes wide.

“If he even says yes, it’s just under an hour by train. Sometimes we’ll go see him, sometimes he can come see us. We could do a weekly trip, but that might get pricey.”

“You know what? Fuck this, let’s just ask and figure it out later with him. Living in the moment, you know?”

“Sure, Jaem.”

“Good. Now leave, I actually have to pee.”

As Jaemin pushes him out of the bathroom, Jeno’s mind drifts to Renjun again. If the three of them were to try this out, it would be hard to get used to.  _ Won’t Renjun feel left out, since Jaemin and I live together and get to see each other every day? I know I would.  _ Maybe this isn’t a good idea. He walks down the hall and back into the store, examining one of the canvases on the wall. Renjun had painted a book open to chapter 19, with the words ‘GO THE DISTANCE’ printed in a distorted font across the pages. The first thing to enter Jeno’s mind iwas the song from  _ Hercules _ , but he pushes it out immediately after suppressing a giggle.

_ You know what? Maybe we’ll be fine. Maybe we can go the distance. _

Jaemin comes back into the store after a few moments, and the two walk back outside to where Renjun was.

When he comes back into their line of sight, Jaemin draws in a sharp breath. He was sitting exactly where he was when they left, except now he has a smudge of pink paint on his nose and a brush behind his ear.

“Fuck,” Jeno mutters. He takes a few steps forward, watching Renjun’s head shoot up at the noise.

“Oh, hey guys! I finished the painting. I hope you like it,” he smiles, taking the canvas off the easel and turning it towards the couple.

“Holy shit,” Jaemin breathes. “It’s amazing, what the hell? You’re amazing.”

“You’re seriously talented, how are you not famous yet?” Jeno laughs as he walks closer to admire the canvas.

Renjun blushes. It’s not as if his art didn’t get compliments, as if  _ he  _ didn’t get compliments; but from people as attractive as these two? It hits different.

As for Jaemin and Jeno, the former’s heart is racing. He catches Jeno’s eye and nods very slightly, watching him nod back. He takes a deep breath and takes a few confident strides towards the artist, stopping right in front of him. Renjun looks up at him with sparkling eyes, amusement swirling in their depths.

“What do you say,” he clears his throat, “we go on a date? Just the three of us.”

Renjun laughs lightly. “Interesting offer. If I say yes, how will it work? Doesn’t look like you guys are from here.”

“I mean, there’s no use wasting time talking about it if you might say no,” Jeno says, still staring at the painting. He runs a hand through his hair before looking up at Renjun, tilting his head. 

Renjun hums, slight smirk never leaving his face. “In that case... sure, why not.”

His heart swells as he watches Jaemin and Jeno’s faces light up.

“Cool!” Jaemin starts. “Cool, that’s uh…”

“That’s great. Thanks for giving us a chance,” Jeno says, a soft smile on his face.

“You better show me a good time now, boys,” Renjun retorts with a playful lilt.

“Oh, that’s a guarantee,” Jaemin replies, lifting a hand to brush the paint off Renjun’s nose.

_ This is going to be fun. _


End file.
